City comparison
Portland, ME is about 900 miles (1,500 km) from Summerville, SC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,100 miles, or about 19 hours behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Portland, ME to Summerville, SC takes about 1 h 49 min, covering roughly 900 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Portland has a population of 68,280, vs 50,839 in Summerville — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Summerville covers about 23 sq mi vs 22 sq mi for Portland.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Portland | Summerville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,377/mo | $1,328/mo | 3.7% higher in Portland |
| Median home value | $411,600 | $276,600 | 48.8% higher in Portland |
| Median household income | $71,498 | $73,712 | 3.1% higher in Summerville |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 96.5 | 1.0% higher in Portland |
| Utilities index | 131.4 | 88.8 | 48.0% higher in Portland |
| Transportation index | 102.5 | 98.5 | 4.1% higher in Portland |
| Healthcare index | 103.3 | 98.0 | 5.5% higher in Portland |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Portland, you'd need $100,066 in Summerville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland and Summerville have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 12% higher in Summerville than in Portland. If you earn $80,000 in Portland, you'd need about $80,053 in Summerville to keep the same standard of living.